


Hello, Angel

by soobiscuits



Series: Hello Angel [1]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Happy Valentine's Day!, M/M, i'd type cupids!chansoo but uh they're actually angels!chansoo, so jen shan't lie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-03-18 16:48:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13685727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soobiscuits/pseuds/soobiscuits
Summary: Kyungsoo reckons that (Angel) Chanyeol could be a devil's spawn in disguise instead. (He's not exactly wrong.)





	Hello, Angel

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jumpthisship](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jumpthisship/gifts).



> Happy Valentine's Day! 
> 
> Tis a gift for Becca for the 2018 Chansoo NY(?) Exchange (lmao I don't know what the exchange is called)! I hope you'll like it! <3

One fine day, Hell descended on Heaven. 

"Tell me again _why the fuck_ does Heaven need new angels when we are all fucking immortal," grits Kyungsoo as he crushes the letter in his hand, having not bothered to read it at all the instant he saw the first word after a handwritten _to my dearest Kyungsoo_. 

From both experience and vicarious learning after these hundreds of years in Heaven, Kyungsoo has concluded that no good thing follows after a _congratulations!_ And, he would list a whole lot of examples which, unfortunately, befell upon him but he hasn't got time to do so. 

Not when he has a baby angel to take care of now. 

In Heaven, as part of a Standard Operating Procedure thought of by a person nobody _fucking_ knows (but would very much wish to fucking kill), new batches of angels are born every year. Nobody knows why new angels are being created (ethically, of course, in Heaven's _very ethical_ lab) annually, but everybody knows that these angels must be taken care of. And everybody knows that these angels, although _angels_ , are everything _but_ angelic. Again, Kyungsoo would quote some seniors who have been through this... wonderful ( _read: tumultuous_ ) process (and lived to tell the tale), but he simply hasn't got time to do so. 

Not when his baby angel seems to be heading straight for him right now. 

"Holy fuck. Is that a... stork?" Kyungsoo gawps, a hand coming up to shield his eyes from the rising sun ( _"Why the fuck are they delivering the baby devils this early in the morning?"_ ). He makes out three storks in the air, with three seemingly identical bundles dangling beneath them. 

A scoff comes from next to Kyungsoo. "You sound like as though you haven't been told how the new angels are delivered to their carers." 

Without taking his eyes off the incoming storks, Kyungsoo lifts the hand that is holding onto his crushed letter. "I stopped at the first word, Seok, but at least I read _three_ fucking words. That's a record right there." Then, an afterthought. "Also, you can't blame me when I've been conditioned to fear the word 'congratulations' from our _beloved_ Boss." 

"Soo's got a point," says a voice that comes from Kyungsoo's other side. From the corners of his eyes, Kyungsoo makes out Yixing pursing his lips. "Yifan's sarcasm knows no bounds and knows no limit to targets. Even I, sometimes, wonder if his informal letters are sarcastic or not." 

Minseok tsks, but says no more and silence descends upon the three angels. Having received identical letters informing them of their new job _just last night_ ( _"I swear, I will murder Yifan one day."_ ), they arranged to wait for their respective baby ~~devils~~ angels together in front of Kyungsoo's lawn. In the silence, there's nothing to do but look to the sky, and wait for the storks to arrive. 

Kyungsoo absentmindedly stares, eyes following the birds as they draw closer and closer with each flap of their wings. And with each passing second of waiting and waiting and waiting, he begins to feel nauseous. He starts to feel anxious, apprehensive, _afraid_. Kyungsoo needs to calm the fuck down. He needs to assure himself, needs to keep a clear head. 

He needs someone. 

Stuffing the crushed letter into the pocket of his black sweatpants ( _"What? Did you think angels wear those disgusting white robes?"_ ), Kyungsoo takes a minute step towards Yixing, circling his arms around his friend and resting his head on a shoulder to gather some form of comfort and assurance. Yixing's arms wrap around Kyungsoo seconds later. Sadly, Kyungsoo isn't getting much of the comfort and assurance he wanted. (It's not Yixing's fault.) 

"They're here." 

Kyungsoo sees how the storks start to descend from the sky. The bundles—or baskets, now that he can clearly see—beneath them meet the pavement gently, and the birds land with a quiet _thump_. Around their necks hang three small wooden pieces with characters carved on them. At a closer look, Kyungsoo identifies their respective names. He supposes that the basket carrying his baby ~~devil~~ angel is attached to the stork with his name. 

It is as though time has stopped, for nobody moves; Kyungsoo isn't even _breathing_. Then, as sudden as time 'stopped', it 'resumed'. 

Yixing is the first to move. He pulls away from Kyungsoo, steps out of Kyungsoo's arms to take a cautious step towards his assigned stork. Dropping to the floor, Yixing reaches out to detach the basket from the harness around the bird's body. The stork immediately ruffles its feathers but doesn't do anything else. 

"Aww, is this baby Baekhyun?" A coo attracts his attention, and Kyungsoo sees how Yixing's lips are curling upwards into a dimpled smile that he has seen plenty in all his hundreds of years of being Yixing's friend (and neighbour). He has a hand resting on the bundle in the basket. "You're so adorable!" 

Just then, another coo comes from elsewhere. 

"I just know that you're going to break hearts when you grow up. Right, Han?" Minseok coos, his facial expression the epitome of fond. Unlike Yixing, he has the bundle in his hands, lifting the baby up and out of the basket to cradle in his arms. Minseok is prodding at his (super) young charge's face, the smile on his face wide and dazzling. 

Still feeling rather nauseous, Kyungsoo turns away. His eyes land on his assigned stork, and he takes in his carved name on the piece of wood, the feathers of the bird, and, then, the basket. 

The basket which is _shaking_. 

"Your baby seems to be rather active, Soo," Minseok pipes up. With his baby ~~devil~~ angel—Han—in his arms, he walks over to Kyungsoo and, too, peers down at the basket. "I think he's going to cause you much trouble. Like Yixing's baby right now." 

At the mention of their friend, Kyungsoo whirls around to find Yixing grunting, struggling to keep his baby from slipping out of his arms. Wails are coming from the bundle cradled in Yixing's arms, unceremoniously shattering the tranquillity of the used-to-be-quiet street. Short, stubby limbs are flailing about, causing the blanket that was originally wrapped around it him—Baekhyun—to fall to the pavement. Yixing doesn't pick it up, _can't_ pick it up since his attention is wholly occupied and his hands are terribly full. It's been barely ten minutes but Yixing's baby is already proving to be a challenge. 

Fear washes over Kyungsoo, and at that very moment he wonders if he can still escape and go down to live on Earth instead. Mortality sounds amazing when compared to taking care of a goddamn ~~devil's spawn~~ angel. Unfortunately, unfortunately, _unfortunately_ Kyungsoo knows that that is wishful thinking and definitely impossible (with an uppercase i). His nausea continues to grow. 

"Uh, Soo?" Minseok suddenly speaks. 

"What?" replies Kyungsoo. His eyes refuse to leave the sight that is Yixing _still_ struggling to hold onto baby Baekhyun (for the twelfth minute now), and he misses the way Minseok's tone harbours on worry and disbelief. 

"Your baby's on fire." 

 

\--- 

 

Chanyeol is the name of Kyungsoo's baby ~~devil~~ angel. 

Like every other angel in Heaven, he has an ability. And _boy_ is Chanyeol’s ability amazing. It’s so awesome that Kyungsoo doesn't know if he ought to be proud or worried that the baby angel is capable of unleashing his ability and produce fire ( _read: set himself on fire_ ) at the age of one month. Kyungsoo also doesn't know if he ought to laugh or cry that he only knew of his charge's ability by witnessing how red yellow red flames were enveloping Chanyeol (and subsequently his blanket and basket; thankfully, the stork moved away in time). 

A Chanyeol that was _grinning_. 

"You really should have read your letter, Soo," chastised Minseok. 

"Thank goodness your ability is super effective against his," said Yixing. 

And it was truly _thank goodness_. Although Minseok's ability renders him to be able to conjure ice (which could somewhat douse the flames), he was unable to since he had baby Han in his arms. Instead, Chanyeol’s fire was put out by Kyungsoo’s earth, Kyungsoo having moved a large mound of soil from his lawn to _literally_ bury the flaming baby. And when everything was over, Kyungsoo ended up with a messed-up front lawn and an earth-covered baby angel. Needless to say, he was Not Pleased. 

Now, even as Kyungsoo has somewhat settled his lawn (by dumping back the moved soil) and is quietly watching baby Chanyeol—currently sitting in the bathtub, his short and stubby arms flailing about and splashing water everywhere—he finds himself still fuming. He didn’t sign up for this. Kyungsoo _sure as fuck_ did not write his name down somewhere or anywhere in agreement to care for one of Heaven’s newest batch of angels. but Kyungsoo knows. He knows of the procedure: it's mandatory for an angel to care for a new angel at least once in his or her lifetime. Once you've done the deed of raising your baby angel to the stipulated age, your name is removed from the list. You're free. Free from having to ever care for another ~~devil~~ angel—unless you nominate yourself back into the list, of course. (Which is never.) 

Yet, Kyungsoo has heard the stories. He has witnessed meltdowns and tantrums in public places, and even once had to help a fellow angel when her baby angel started conjuring vines out of nowhere and they were snaking across the supermarket tiles and wrapping around everything. It wasn’t a huge disaster, not really, but it opened Kyungsoo’s eyes to how... _uncontrolled_ new angels are. They're practically walking time bombs, waiting for the countdown to end, to _explode_ and wreak havoc upon Heaven. 

Hence, the day when the year's new batch of angels are born isn't coincidentally referred to as 'Hell Day' for fun. It is _truly_ the day where Hell descends on Heaven. 

A gurgle snaps Kyungsoo out of his thoughts and he quickly look at his baby angel. Blinks. Blinks again. Then sighs. 

Kyungsoo's bathroom has turned into a sauna. The temperature is unknown but Kyungsoo has no doubt that it's probably in the sixties, seventies, or eighties even. The evidence that the temperature isn't above ninety degrees Celsius is because a) Kyungsoo's skin is still on him—it hasn't peeled off—and b) Chanyeol is still splashing the bath water every-fucking-where (Kyungsoo doesn't want to think of the clean-up)—not much of the water hasn't evaporated. Wisps of steam are wafting up from the bubbling bath water. There's no red yellow red enveloping Chanyeol at the moment, but Kyungsoo's certain that the baby angel must be emanating enough heat from within his body to be somewhat boiling water—a clear indicator of the uncontrollable aspect of new angels. 

He's worried. Kyungsoo is _very_ worried about how he's going to have to live with a baby who doesn't know how to control his ability and may at any given moment erupt into flames. Baby Chanyeol has already burnt his blanket and basket into black, black soot. The diaper and onesie that he was wearing somehow managed to survive the ordeal though, and Kyungsoo's suspicion of them being made with a material that is able to withstand Chanyeol's pyromaniac tendencies is confirmed when several boxes of diapers and clothes in all sizes were delivered to his front door just before Kyungsoo decided to give his (super) young charge a bath. It's all very foreign, very strange for Kyungsoo. 

He doesn't know what to think, what to feel. Overwhelmed is an understatement. 

Well, at least _someone_ seems to be having a great time. Oblivious to his carer's mood, baby Chanyeol continues to play in the semi-muddy water, tiny fingers grasping onto nothing as he tries to grab at the water. A pout forms on his cherubic face, and it’s simply adorable. 

Truth be told, despite the initial... havoc, Kyungsoo has had a good look at his baby angel. Chanyeol, although covered with earth at that time, possesses the prettiest eyes that Kyungsoo has ever seen (and that's including his own large ones). And then there are his elfish-looking ears. Kyungsoo doesn't know if elves exist, but if he hadn't known that baby Chanyeol is an angel, he definitely would have mistaken the baby as an elf. 

(While Kyungsoo still doesn't agree with the creation of angels [even though he himself was created as well], he gives a silent pat on the shoulders of the scientists at the Lab for creating such an adorable baby. 

And Kyungsoo silently gives thanks to whomever assigned Chanyeol to him. _Thank you for giving me such a beautiful boy. Thank you for not assigning me Baekhyun; he's the ugliest baby I've ever laid eyes on._ ) 

"Achoo!" 

Kyungsoo hears a sneeze. Then, he feels heat blazing right in front of him before his vision suddenly turns foggy and he feels like his skin is going to peel. 

In the haziness of the bathroom, he makes out red yellow red. Kyungsoo sighs. 

Chanyeol's set himself on fire. Again. 

 

\--- 

 

"Uh, Soo?" 

"Yes, Seok?" 

"Why does Chanyeol have a leash around his torso...?" 

"It's to prevent him fro– Oh, look, there he goes trying to fly away again." 

"…" 

"You should try it on Han." 

"Well, I–" 

"Han's trying to fly away." 

"Where did you buy that leash." 

 

\--- 

 

"For the last time, Xing, _no_." 

A whine immediately comes. "But, Soo..." 

"Uh-uh," says Kyungsoo as he wiggles a finger in front of Yixing's pouty face. "No matter how much you beg, I am still not trading my campfire for your flashlight." 

Yixing blows a raspberry. Huffily folds his arms across his chest. "Hyun is _not_ a flashlight." 

"Says the person who calls him a lantern." 

"Kyungsoo!" Yixing shoots Kyungsoo a glare. A _harmless_ glare. Kyungsoo blinks in his friend's face. Yixing puffs his cheeks out. "I– That was Minseok's nickname! Not mine!" 

"Whatever." Kyungsoo waves dismissively. 

"It's not _whatever_ ," Yixing mutters. "I really would take any other angel over one who thinks it's fun to blind you every four seconds." 

Kyungsoo looks at the two small figures sitting a couple of feet away from them. Both Chanyeol and Baekhyun are seated on the rug (not fireproof, unfortunately), currently engaged in bouts of babbling and cackling that are not understood by either of their carers. It's adorable, though, the two of them. Stubby arms gesturing wildly, tiny fingers pointing in all directions while their mouths never seem to shut for more than a second. Eyes popping, narrowing. Lips curling upwards, turning downwards. Teeth appearing, disappearing. 

And then, it happens. 

Light appears on both of Baekhyun's arms, rapidly spreading and enveloping all of the baby angel. The intensity of the light also increases, and although Kyungsoo knows that he has to keep an eye on Chanyeol, he still succumbs to the brightness and shuts his eyes. He squeezes them tight because Baekhyun's light is simply too fucking bright. It's crazy, having to lose your sight suddenly. 

And Kyungsoo understands Yixing's words then. Pity for his friend instantly fills him. Kyungsoo sympathises with Yixing, with his circumstance, his plight. But. _But_ feeling piteous doesn't equate to wanting to exchange baby angels—now Kyungsoo is very certain that he'd like to keep his campfire thank you very much. 

After a couple of seconds ( _"Four seconds, to be exact,"_ says Yixing), the light fades away and a nudge at his side from Yixing tells Kyungsoo that he can open his eyes now. Yixing's living room appears in Kyungsoo's eyes once again, but something in the space has changed. It doesn't take a genius to know what. Kyungsoo sighs. 

Yixing's curtains are visibly on fire. 

"I'll be taking your new set of unicorn curtains then, Soo." 

 

\--- 

 

"Oh no." 

"…??" 

"I'm down to your last diaper, Yeol." 

"….?" 

"Time for potty training, kid." 

"….!" 

 

\--- 

 

It's Month Five (inclusive of the one month before Chanyeol was delivered to Kyungsoo) of taking care of one of Heaven's newest angel. 

And, for the umpteenth time, Kyungsoo finds himself wondering if he can still escape down to Earth. He's, honestly, had enough of putting out fires, of giving up his furniture to his friends-slash-neighbours to replace the ones that Chanyeol set fire to, and of digging out his young charge from within the mountain of earth Kyungsoo has to summon in order to extinguish the flames on Chanyeol himself. 

But, of course, for the umpteenth time too, his common sense answers him with a big fat _NO_. 

Chanyeol, too, also answers him with a _no_. 

"Soo, you can't go down to Earth," he says, those almond-shaped eyes of his not looking away from the meatballs that Kyungsoo is currently placing onto his plastic plate. "If you do, then who's going to take care of me?" And as if to make a point, Chanyeol looks up and at Kyungsoo, a short finger pointing to the meatballs on his plate. Kyungsoo understands his young charge's point: _who's going to make meatballs for me if you go?_

Kyungsoo regrets introducing this dish to Chanyeol, for meatballs have now become a staple in the Kyungsoo Household. The butcher at Heaven's supermarket knows Kyungsoo's order—minced beef—by heart, and Kyungsoo's fridge smells terribly of cow. A certain pot has, also, been designated for cooking the meatballs for fear of contamination. 

("Even though milk comes from cows but, wow, your milk really smells like one," Minseok had remarked that one time he came over for dinner and had poured both himself and Han a cup.) 

To summarize, Chanyeol is crazy for meatballs and Kyungsoo _has to_ make them for him if he wants to keep his lovely house free from fire. Like previous times, Kyungsoo would love to mention several examples of how his house caught fire when meatballs weren't in Chanyeol's meals, but he hasn't got time to do so. 

Not when Chanyeol has already scarfed down all ten meatballs that were on his plate and is now pointedly looking at the ones on Kyungsoo's own. 

"Nope," Kyungsoo quickly says, lifting his fork to spear one before putting it into his mouth. He swallows, forks another. "You've already had your share, so these are mine." 

"B-But! Soo!" 

"You promised, Chanyeol." Kyungsoo puts down his fork, folds his arms across his chest. He furrows his brows, slaps a frown on his face. Kyungsoo's pretty sure that his body language effectively tells Chanyeol just how serious he is, and from the way his young charge gradually deflates, he's got the message. Chanyeol isn't five years old for naught. 

Although only created five months ago, Chanyeol has grown to the size of a five-year-old now, and his intellect has also developed to that of a mortal at that age. This is all possible due to the known fact that angels grow up fast. A month on Heaven equates to approximately a year on Earth, this high-speed growth no doubt an attribute implanted into angels when they were created in the Lab. Nobody knows why they have to grow up this quickly but, wow, all this is very ethical isn't it. _Very ethical indeed._

And as if to further show just how _ethical_ they are, the Lab has also implanted in all created angels a mechanism that stops growth when they reach the mortal age of twenty-four. Nobody knows why they have to stop growing at that particular age but, wow, yet another ethical feature. _Very ethical indeed._

Kyungsoo has been twenty-four years old for hundreds of years now, while Chanyeol has only been five years old for less than two days. So, it's rather obvious that the young angel would never be able to out-argue his carer. Well, not at this age anyway. (Kyungsoo is utterly terrified of when Chanyeol _grows up_.) 

"Fine," says Chanyeol. He picks up his fork. "I'm going to eat potatoes." Then, an afterthought. "I'm going to need _a lot_ of potatoes, Soo." And he pointedly stares at the potatoes sitting neatly on Kyungsoo's plate. 

Kyungsoo pretends not to notice. 

 

(Chanyeol's on his last piece of gravy-coated potato when Kyungsoo quietly deposits two pieces from his own plate. The smile that forms on the boy's face makes Kyungsoo smile as well, and he reaches over to playfully tousle his young charge's hair. Chanyeol's giggles are music to his ears.) 

 

\--- 

 

"Soo?" 

"Yes, Yeol?" 

"How long more until I'm your age?" 

"Hmm, sixteen more years. Why?" 

"Because I can't wait for the day when I finally can't be scolded by you." 

"I can still scold you when you're twenty-four, Chanyeol." 

"… Drats." 

"And, if you're not going to bed right now I'm going to do that very thing you dislike me doing." 

"… Fine. G'night, Soo!" 

"… Cute." 

 

\--- 

 

Time flies. It's nearing the end of Month Ten of angel-rearing. 

Kyungsoo is currently sitting on the steps leading up to his front door with Yixing and Minseok. They're sipping on Minseok's homemade banana milkshake while waiting for their boys to return home from school. Now that Chanyeol, Han, and Baekhyun are ten-going-onto-eleven years old, they've been allowed to return home from school on their own. While Minseok and Yixing have forbade their charges to fly home, Kyungsoo doesn't see a problem with allowing Chanyeol to do so. If anything, he'd only come home with abrasions or broken bones from falling from the sky. Nothing that Yixing can't fix. 

The boys have been attending elementary school for five months now, but Kyungsoo still finds himself rather blown away by the fact that Chanyeol was only in preschool a couple of months ago. Yet, he's now only a month away from his promotion to secondary school. Time truly, truly, _truly_ flies. (Or, it's just the rapid growth mechanism at work.) 

And it seems that both Yixing and Minseok seem to have the same sentiments as he does. 

"Four more weeks until my Hyun goes to secondary school," Yixing says, his fingers tapping on the empty plastic cup in his hands, his eyes gazing at it. There is a small, fond smile on his face. "I still remember the times when he'd suddenly explode in light and blind the heck outta me. Good times, good times." 

"I don't recall you saying that those were good times, Xing," retorts Minseok. He lifts his cup up to his lips, about to take a sip, only to jump and shriek when Yixing snakes a hand past Kyungsoo to pinch their friend at his side. Minseok glares. 

Kyungsoo laughs, and so does Yixing. 

Minseok, however, doesn't back down. "If my memory serves me right, I still remember you begging me to exchange my Han for your Baekhyu _n– Ow!_ " 

Kyungsoo cackles this time, not in the least sympathetic at Minseok's pain. "Serves you right," he says. "You know better than to cross Xing." 

"I probably never will," mutters Minseok as he rubs at the spot where Yixing had pinched him twice. "Just like how I keep forgetting to stock up on plasters for whenever Han accidentally injures himself." 

Minseok's strange reply piques both of Kyungsoo and Yixing's curiosity, and they simultaneously direct their attention to their friend-slash-neighbour. Yixing opens his mouth, about to say something when– 

"Soo!" 

–a familiar voice rings out in the distance. Kyungsoo looks up, not surprised to see his angel running towards him. He's surprised, though, to find that Chanyeol's eyes are glistening under the late afternoon sun. 

"Yeol, what's wrong?" Kyungsoo immediately asks, throwing his arms open to welcome a sniffling Chanyeol who runs into them. He notices the one hand that Chanyeol is cradling with his other. There's a visible bruise near the knuckle. 

"Oh dear, what happened? How did you get this?" 

Chanyeol sniffles, blinks his eyes but the unshed tears stubbornly hold on for dear life, not dislodging no matter how many times he blinks. "I-It was– It was–" 

"It's my fault." 

Kyungsoo looks up. Han approaches with Baekhyun in tow, their facial expressions telling and, in an instant, Kyungsoo comprehends. He lets go of Chanyeol, allowing Yixing to take a still-sniffling Chanyeol into his arms. Yixing's hands begin to glow a bright, pretty blue, and Chanyeol, without needing to be told, immediately places his small hand into Yixing's larger ones. 

"Why do you say that, Han?" Minseok softly asks. Kyungsoo notices how Minseok's fingers are lightly tapping on his kneecaps—he's resisting the urge to hug his young charge—and Kyungsoo is heartened to know that even though his friend dotes on Han a lot, loves him a lot, he doesn't coddle the young angel when it's not time to. 

"Be... Because I was the one who made that bruise on Yeol's hand," Han admits quietly, his head dropping. "I'm sorry, Uncle Soo." He then unzips the front pocket of his bag, rummages in it for a second before emerging with a tiny ziploc bag containing numerous colourful plasters. He takes out a green one. "Here, a plaster for Yeol's injury." 

"Xing has already healed him though..." Baekhyun says, but Kyungsoo smiles, shakes his head, and reaches up to ruffle both Han and Baekhyun's heads. He takes the green plaster from Han. 

"Thank you for owning up to your mistake, Han, and thank you for your plaster. I'll make sure Chanyeol puts it on." 

"Okay," replies Han. He places his bag onto the ground, clasps his hands together. "I'll practice my ability more, practice lifting objects more, so I won't hurt anyone again." 

Ah. So that's what Minseok meant. Han must have been fervently practicing wielding his ability to the point of him dropping the floating objects onto himself and probably Minseok. 

"You'll do alright, Han, I know you will!" Chanyeol suddenly pipes up, and Kyungsoo couldn't be prouder when his young angel removes himself from Yixing's arms to launch himself at both Han and Baekhyun, dragging them down to the grass in a mess of bodies and limbs. Kyungsoo is pretty certain that their laughter is also music to Yixing and Minseok's ears. 

Time truly flies when you're enjoying yourself. 

 

\--- 

 

"Gah, I hate homework! Why do we need to study, Soo?" 

"I don't know. I never asked. But maybe you could, y'know, take this up to your Uncle Yifan." 

"Psh, as if that stone face would answer me... Wait, Soo, why are you suddenly writing a letter!?" 

"I'm tattling on you, of course. This is my chance to get rid of you." 

"I'll return you all the stuff I set fire to, Soo, I promise! Please don't tell on me, please!!" 

"… You do know that the set of unicorn curtains Uncle Yixing took from me when you were but a wee lad was _limited edition_ , right?" 

"… Okay so maybe I can't return you everything I've burnt..." 

"You got that right, kid." 

"I'm not a kid anymore! I'm already sixteen!" 

"Yeah yeah. Tell that to me when you're my age, _kid_." 

 

\--- 

 

"Soo, what did I say about calling for me when you want to reach for the plates?" 

At the sudden intrusion, Kyungsoo squeaks in surprise. He stops reaching for the plate that's on the shelf way above his head, and on his tippy toes he whirls around. Kyungsoo shoots Chanyeol a sheepish smile. "You were studying, so I didn't want to bother you." 

"You could have stood on a chair," says Chanyeol. He pushes himself off the kitchen doorframe and walks in. 

Kyungsoo starts to move away, taking a small step to the left to give space for Chanyeol to retrieve the plate. "The chairs shake whenever I stand on them, and you know how scared I am o–" He abruptly stops, words tapering off into silence. Kyungsoo is stunned, rendered speechless by his fire angel. 

For instead of walking into the space that Kyungsoo has left for him, Chanyeol walks into Kyungsoo. He _crowds_ in on Kyungsoo, corners him against the sink. Their torsos aren't touching, but their thighs are. The edge of the counter digs into Kyungsoo's buttock, but the flesh there is ample enough to not hurt. 

"Y-Yeol," Kyungsoo stutters. His field of vision is restricted, limited to the black colour of Chanyeol's shirt due to the (unfortunate) fact that he's now shorter than his fire angel. Somewhere along the way, Chanyeol has grown to be taller than his carer. 

Now in his last year of junior college, at the age of eighteen years, Chanyeol is _tall_. He's somehow managed to grow taller than Kyungsoo, about a little more than half a head taller. But not only has Chanyeol filled out vertically, he's also grown _horizontally_. (No) thanks to the influence of both Han and Baekhyun, Chanyeol has taken a liking to visiting Heaven's gym every other day, and as a result, he's grown from a thin, lanky teenager to a stocky, strapping young man. _A tall and well-built young man._

Nowadays, Kyungsoo often finds himself wondering when the fuck did his young angel grow this much?! He also ponders over this a lot more than he'd admit: _where did my baby Chanyeol go?_

Unable to see past Chanyeol's shoulder, Kyungsoo can only look down. While moving his gaze downwards, he unconsciously tilts his head down, too, and suddenly his forehead meets with fabric. Kyungsoo doesn't know what came over him but he _pushes_ and he feels flesh, _firm_ flesh, under that fabric. The foreign sensation causes a tingle to spread throughout Kyungsoo's body. He involuntarily jerks. 

"Soo? You alright?" 

Kyungsoo doesn't reply, too caught up in his thoughts. He subconsciously sniffs Chanyeol's shirt, getting a whiff of the floral laundry detergent that they use. It's a common scent around the house, especially on laundry days. Underneath it is another scent that is not uncommon to Kyungsoo as well. Lemongrass and honey—the only shower gel available in the bathroom. Kyungsoo himself uses it, its sweet scent something that he smells all the time. Yet, right now, the sweetness of the lemongrass and honey seems amplified. It easily overpowers the floral scent, pervading every inch of Kyungsoo's sense of smell. It rushes into his nose when he inhales, diffusing within his body until all Kyungsoo smells right now is lemongrass and honey. 

It smells awfully sweet. Smells very much like Chanyeol. 

And Kyungsoo would have continued to revel in the sweetness if not for a sudden movement that effectively snaps him out of it. He lifts his head, surprise washing over him for he finds himself face to face with his fire angel. A breath lodges in his throat. 

"Remember to call for me next time when you need plates," Chanyeol whispers, smiling. His breaths pepper warmly on Kyungsoo's lips, philtrum. The tips of their noses gently bump when Chanyeol sways. "I don't want you to hurt yourself." 

He pulls away then, the smile still on his face, his eyes still looking at Kyungsoo. The way that his fire angel is looking at him should have made him uncomfortable, but somehow the intensity of Chanyeol's gaze only serve to captivate Kyungsoo, to keep him looking back, to maintain the eye contact. Kyungsoo has always known that Chanyeol has beautiful brown eyes, but, _wow_ , he really does have the prettiest eyes that Kyungsoo has ever seen. 

An object suddenly appears in Kyungsoo's hands. He looks down. It's the plate that he's been reaching for. Kyungsoo is about to look back up, to say a _thank you_ to Chanyeol when he feels a hand on his head, fingers pressing lightly onto his scalp. The pressure upon his head prevents Kyungsoo from lifting his head, but Kyungsoo doesn't want to look up now anyway. Not when he thinks that the bout of warmth that suddenly surges to his face must have probably coloured his cheeks. He's not going to embarrass himself by letting Chanyeol see how red or pink his face has become. 

The hand on his head moves. Fingers trail down, a thumb brushing over his temple, two fingers caressing his ear for a couple of seconds. The sensation causes Kyungsoo to jerk again, but this time there's no question of concern; Kyungsoo feels the gaze upon him intensify. The hand continues to move, palm pressing gently against the side of his face, thumb rubbing the apple of his cheek for a moment before it moves again. 

Where Chanyeol's hand goes, Kyungsoo's skin burns. The side of his neck when fingertips drag themselves down. His collarbone when a thumb rubs against it. And his shoulder when fingers drum across it. 

"Call for me when dinner is done." And Chanyeol leaves as abruptly as he had come. 

When the sounds of his footsteps are no longer audible, Kyungsoo shakily places the plate in his hands onto the counter before finally succumbing to his jelly legs. He crumples onto the kitchen floor, hands splayed out in front of him to prevent himself from falling forward. Kyungsoo sees the smooth grey cement of the flooring, but his mind doesn't register it. His mind currently only has its attention on the way it's owner skin still burns, still sears even though Chanyeol's hand has been gone for a while. A hand unconsciously reaches up to his head, fingers pressing onto it just like how Chanyeol's hand did. It feels different. The sensation of his own hand does not feel the same as when Chanyeol did it. 

It's too small. Kyungsoo's hand is too small. It is then does Kyungsoo wonder. 

_Since when did Chanyeol's hand grow to be larger than mine?_

And as his hand follows the path where Chanyeol moved his hand, an assortment of questions bombard Kyungsoo's mind. At the forefront of them all is a simple one that he's been asking himself since Chanyeol entered the kitchen. 

_Since when does my heart beat for him?_

 

\--- 

 

"Why are you hugging me?" 

"Because I'm scared and my penguin plushie is in my room!" 

"… Then go get your penguin." 

"I already did! He's in my arms now!" 

" _I_ 'm the one in your arms, Yeol, and I am not–" 

"You are, you are! Soo is a penguin to me!" 

"… Just because you're twenty doesn't mean I won't discipline you as I had when you were seven, Chan _yeol_." 

"Pfft, I'd like to see you try, Soo." 

"… Forget it. I've seen how you've choked the living daylights out of Baekhyun the other day–" 

"Damn right I did!" 

"Stop wiggling your brows! It's weird!" 

"I'll stop when you allow me to hug you." 

"… I should have traded with Xing when he asked to all those months ago." 

"No, you wouldn't. You loved me back then, and I know know _know_ that you love me even more now!" 

"…" 

"Silence means consent!" 

"Shuddup and watch the movie, you big, noisy teddy bear!" 

"I'm not a teddy bear! You're the teddy– Wait, no. You're my biggggg penguin plushie!" 

"… Fine. Now shut up and– _Stop rubbing your face on my face Chanyeol!!_ " 

 

\--- 

 

It happens a few more times after that. 

Okay, maybe more than a few times. 

A lot more than a few times. 

_Way more_ than a lot more than a few times. 

Kyungsoo has realised that ever since his fire angel turned eighteen, Chanyeol's initiation of physical contact with him _significantly_ increases. From seemingly-accidental touches to lingering ones; from side-to-side couch seating to koala-style cuddling; from occasional two-cups-sharing to strictly-one-large-cup-to-share; and from side-to-side standing while waiting for the traffic lights to arms-around-waist and chin-on-the-shoulder. 

In summary, the supposedly familial relationship between carer and charge has somehow rapidly progressed to that of a... rather strange sense of domesticity in the past five months. It all happened too quickly for Kyungsoo to register. The days just flew by and now that he thinks back about it, he realises that whenever Chanyeol initiated any form of physical contact his mind would go blank (resulting in giving in and letting Chanyeol do whatever he wanted to do). 

That's not all there is, though. 

Kyungsoo has also realised that his (no longer) young charge has gotten rather... protective. An arm would always be around his shoulders whenever they head out, fingers seemingly absentmindedly drumming lightly on collarbones. And whenever someone gets close to them, the arm would tighten, would pull Kyungsoo closer to Chanyeol (and lemongrass and honey would be all Kyungsoo smelled). This happened a lot at either Yixing or Minseok's houses, whenever they went over for meals. Having been friends (and neighbours) for hundreds of years, Kyungsoo pays no mind to how Yixing leans onto him, rests a head onto his shoulders, or to how Minseok slips his hand into his, plays with his fingers. 

His fire angel, however, seemed to mind _a lot_. 

"Chanyeol!" The door to their house swings open, and Chanyeol rushes inside, pushing past Kyungsoo. "Chanyeol, get back here and tell me why you were so rude to Xing!" 

Stomping of feet on the parquet flooring. Then, a slam of a door. Kyungsoo groans. 

He quickly slips off his shoes and dashes to Chanyeol's room, not in the least surprised to see his door closed. Kyungsoo tries the doorknob. Expectedly (and as with previous times) Chanyeol's locked it. Kyungsoo knocks on the door. "Chanyeol?" 

There's no reply, but when Kyungsoo plasters his ear to the wooden door, he hears sounds. Chanyeol sounds like he's punching something soft. His pillow, perhaps. An image of his fire angel doing just that shoots into Kyungsoo's head, and a giggle almost escapes him. Mortified, Kyungsoo slaps a hand over his mouth and lightly knocks his head to snap himself out. 

"Chanyeol, you know you can't hide in there forever!" Kyungsoo calls out. "You'd have to tell me why you were being so rude to Yixing just now over dinner! He didn't deserve the glares that you were shooting at him, so why–" 

The sounds of a door unlocking and opening interrupts Kyungsoo, his words tapering off into silence when Chanyeol appears at the opened door. His sudden appearance has Kyungsoo stumbling back, heart hammering. He feels a tiny bout of fear washing over him as he takes in his fire angel's furious expression, eyes blank and void of emotions. Darkness blankets Chanyeol, shrouding him in an unapproachable aura. An angry Chanyeol is a sight that is extremely rare but has been seen rather often nowadays. And Kyungsoo doesn't understand why. He really doesn't know what's gotten into his good-natured angel. 

Suddenly, Chanyeol moves. He reaches Kyungsoo in two forward strides, but before Kyungsoo can lift his head to look at Chanyeol, the fire angel moves again. He walks forward, not in the least caring that Kyungsoo has to step back, unbalanced. The scene reminds Kyungsoo of that one-time Chanyeol trapped him against the kitchen sink. He wouldn't budge, wouldn't hear of Kyungsoo's protests. And it's happening again. Kyungsoo once again finds himself trapped by Chanyeol, finds himself being forced to walk backwards into the bathroom that's opposite Chanyeol's room. 

Chanyeol only stops when they're standing at the sink, and from the corners of his eyes Kyungsoo makes out their reflections; Chanyeol still looks really mad. Kyungsoo gulps. What has he gotten himself into? 

After mentally cheering for himself, Kyungsoo inhales and lifts his head. His mouth opens, about to say something when Chanyeol intercepts him. 

"Then, did I deserve to watch the two of you behave like lovers?" 

"Eh?" Kyungsoo replies intelligently, Chanyeol's unexpected words taking him aback. 

"I know that Uncle Xing don't deserve my treatment towards him, but I also know that I _don’t_ deserve his and your actions towards each other." 

Kyungsoo is certain that there's a giant question mark hanging above his head. What... is Chanyeol talking about? Why doesn't Kyungsoo understand what he's saying? He and Chanyeol are on the same page here... right? Kyungsoo is utterly confused. 

"I know that I shouldn't have set fire to the chicken and ruined dinner, but–" 

"Yeah, you really shouldn't have burned the chicken," Kyungsoo says, his mind beginning to process Chanyeol's words. "Nor should you have ruined dinner." 

"But he was all over you, Soo!" Chanyeol snaps back, his palm suddenly slamming on the sink counter; the _thump_ echoes around the bathroom. "How could I not be angry? How could I not feel anything when I see him peppering kisses on your head! I'm not a fucking robot!" 

Chanyeol's face has grown more furious, feral even. His eyes are no longer emotionless, now stormy and swirling with emotions. His aura darkens; Kyungsoo's fear inexplicably grows. 

"O-Of course you're n-not!" Kyungsoo replies, stuttering. His nerves are getting jittery, and his confusion about the entire situation isn't helping. Though, Kyungsoo forces himself to continue to look at Chanyeol. Even though he very much wants to look away, even though he's feeling afraid of Chanyeol, Kyungsoo doesn't. He knows that if he does, if he chooses to give up now and shift his gaze, he'd lose. 

He'd lose Chanyeol. And Kyungsoo doesn't want that to happen. He doesn't want to ask himself this again. Literally this time. 

_Where did my baby Chanyeol go?_

Amid his thoughts, Kyungsoo hears a sigh. 

"Soo, you– You really don't know how I feel, don't you?" 

Feel...? How does Chanyeol feel? _What_ exactly is Chanyeol feeling? The giant question mark above Kyungsoo's head grows heavier, its increasing weight symbolising Kyungsoo's equally-increasing confusion. 

"Ch– Yeol. Yeol, I'm not getting–" 

But before Kyungsoo can finish his sentence, Chanyeol moves. 

He bends, slips his arms under Kyungsoo's knees and _lifts_. A squeak immediately slips out of Kyungsoo, his arms scrambling to grab onto something, anything. In his haste, he circles his arms around Chanyeol’s neck, fingers gripping onto the collar of his shirt. His buttock meets with coolness a second later, and Kyungsoo discovers that Chanyeol has hefted him up to the counter. 

In the silence of the bathroom, Kyungsoo finds himself attuned to every tiny thing that is going on around him. But he is _most_ attuned to every tiny thing that comes from Chanyeol. 

The fire angel has edged his face close close _close_ to Kyungsoo's. The distance between their faces barely exists—their noses touch, breaths mixing in the gap between their lips, eyes drowning in each other's gazes. Kyungsoo once again discovers just how beautiful, how beautifully brown Chanyeol's eyes are; the colour of the richest chocolate bar has got _nothing_ on his angel's eyes. 

"Soo," murmurs Chanyeol, his voice echoing in the quiet bathroom. "Soo, Soo, Soo." 

Kyungsoo thinks he ought to reply, but the way Chanyeol's deep deep deep and rough-around-the-edges voice softly called out the endearment of his name stops him. His already-hammering heart speeds up, and Kyungsoo is absolutely certain that his face is red red red. He feels like as though Chanyeol has set him on fire. 

Well, seeing how he feels so, so, _so_ warm, Chanyeol might as well have done it. 

"Soo," Chanyeol murmurs again, his voice doing things to Kyungsoo once more but this time Kyungsoo wants to reply, and he parts his lips, about to say something when– 

" _Soo_." 

And Kyungsoo sees Chanyeol's face tilting to a side, eyes fluttering shut. His mind goes into overdrive, random thoughts suddenly shooting into his head but at the forefront of them all is the one that first surfaced the moment he registered Chanyeol's action. 

_Is he... about to k-kiss me?_

But Kyungsoo doesn't find out. For although he closes his eyes in the next second and waits for whatever Chanyeol seems to want to do (ie, _kiss_ ), it never comes. The tip of his nose suddenly feels cold, as with his lips for the breaths that warm them have vanished. And when Kyungsoo finally allows his anticipation to wane, he opens his eyes to find that he's all alone in the bathroom. Chanyeol's gone. 

"Wha..." Kyungsoo blinks, blinks, blinks again. "What just..." 

Sounds travel from outside, and although he's still _really really really_ confused, Kyungsoo quickly gets down from the counter, feet scrambling to find their bearings on the parquet flooring. He runs in the direction of the sounds, in the direction of the living room. 

He arrives in time to see the front door closing, lock turning. Chanyeol's shoes are missing. 

 

\--- 

 

"Has Yeol received the letter yet?" 

Kyungsoo pretends not to have heard Yixing's question. He also pretends not to have heard Minseok's knowing sigh. 

"What's his decision, has he told you?" Yixing probes, seemingly not giving up until he gets an answer out of Kyungsoo. "Is he staying or, y'know, leaving?" 

The letter mentioned by Yixing is _the_ letter that all new angels, upon nearing twenty-four years of age, would receive. It contains all the mandatory congratulatory words, the details of the angel's future accommodation and job scope, as well as The Question. 

_Would you be leaving your current accommodation, yes or no._

Kyungsoo remembers circling _yes_ the instant he finished reading the question, shattering the heart of his carer. It wasn't that he disliked living with Ryeowook—Kyungsoo genuinely _loves_ Ryeowook—but Kyungsoo wanted a space of his own, wanted to be independent. And in order to do so, he had to leave. Ryeowook respected his angel's decision (even helped Kyungsoo pack and unpack his stuff), and now that Kyungsoo finds himself in the very same position, he's going to respect Chanyeol's choice no matter which option he chooses. 

"What are Han and Baekhyun's decisions?" Kyungsoo quietly asks, tone nonchalant as though he has already given an answer to Yixing. He doesn't look at his friends though, eyes fixated on the cup of milkshake in his hands. It's been a while since he had Minseok's homemade banana milkshake. 

Although Kyungsoo isn't looking at them, he can feel the silent exchange between Yixing and Minseok going on next to him. He bites back the urge to sigh, sips on his milkshake. 

"Han... is staying," Minseok says; Kyungsoo detects the caution in his tone. "We've grown rather attached to each other, and Han doesn't want to leave." 

"It's the same for Hyun and I," says Yixing, hesitation apparent in his words. "So he's not moving out." 

Kyungsoo nods, just nods without saying anything in reply. It's rude, he knows, but he doesn't want to reply, doesn't want to say anything. Kyungsoo can feel his friends' gazes on him, feels their eyes searching, searching, searching for an answer. 

An answer that Kyungsoo himself doesn't have. 

 

\--- 

 

"Thank you." 

The voice, the deep, soothing voice that Kyungsoo has familiarised himself with ever since he first heard it almost ten months ago suddenly shatters the silence of the living room. Kyungsoo has been sitting on the couch with a book in his hands for the past couple of hours. Apart from bathroom breaks and the refilling of his cup, he hasn't moved. 

For Kyungsoo's afraid of missing Chanyeol's departure. Although his breaks are short and from the kitchen he can see the front door, Kyungsoo doesn't want to miss anything, not when if it has to do with Chanyeol. 

"Thank you for the past two years," Chanyeol continues to say. "I really enjoyed my time here. Sorry for all the troubles I caused, for the furniture you lost, and, uh, for not telling you of my decision beforehand." 

A pause. 

"I'm leaving. I've decided not to stay." 

Although Kyungsoo has already suspected Chanyeol's choice, has seen the boxes and luggage Chanyeol's been packing, and has prepared himself for when Chanyeol would personally inform him, he realises that it's all for naught. The instant Chanyeol said those words, Kyungsoo's heart shatters. It explodes into pieces, like a dynamite when the flame reaches the end of the line. Chanyeol is the one who ignited the spark and started the inevitable countdown to the end of Kyungsoo's hope. 

Kyungsoo had hoped that Chanyeol would stay. 

Sadly, he isn't. Chanyeol's leaving, and Kyungsoo is so, so, _so_ sad. Yet, he reminds himself of the position that he's in. Reminds himself of the _proper_ way he should carry himself, the way he wouldn't show his true emotions. 

Wouldn't let Chanyeol know how much he actually wants him to stay. 

And so, Kyungsoo forces himself to feel happy, to _be_ happy. He slaps on a smile, forcing the corners of his lips to curl upwards. But Kyungsoo knows that his effort is for naught the moment he finally looks up and sees the doubt so evident on Chanyeol's face. Twenty-four months doesn't seem like a long time but for two persons who spent most of that time together, nothing can be hidden between them. If Chanyeol can tell that Kyungsoo's happiness isn't at all genuine, then Kyungsoo can tell something of Chanyeol as well. 

Of that Chanyeol actually doesn't want to leave. He wants to _stay_. 

Kyungsoo is someone who doesn't like to admit his shortcomings, nor is he someone who speaks of his thoughts and feelings. He's stubborn at times (or most of the time), extremely quiet, and rather hard to deal with. He keeps things to himself, doesn't say anything even though he knows he should. 

This time, though, Kyungsoo _knows_ that he has to say something. He has to say _it_. He has to put aside his pride (not that he has any whenever he's with his fire angel), lay down his defences and _say it_. 

Say that he wants Chanyeol to stay. 

And by some form of heavenly intervention (or the power of _love_ ), Kyungsoo opens his mouth, looks straight at Chanyeol, and softly says, "Yeol, don't go. 

"Could you... stay with me?" 

 

\--- 

 

"Y'know, Soo, if you hadn't asked me to stay, I would have made up some lame excuse to stay anyway." 

"What excuse?" 

"Uh..." 

"Exactly how lame is that excuse if your face is this red..." 

"I– Well, I would have made a huge ruckus about not having my penguin plushie with me and how I can't _live_ without it, and you'd make the connection that the penguin plushie is you and you can't leave this house because it's yours. THEN, I'd slowly walk towards you and start smiling at you and hoping you'd get the hint that I can't live without you and that I... neverplannedonleaving." 

"What if I wanted you to leave? What if I never thought of making you stay? What would you do then, Yeol?" 

"… Cry, probably. Throw a tantrum. Combust and set everything on fire in the process... OH. _Oh oh oh_ then both of us can move into either Han or Baekhyun's houses and have permanent sleepovers!" 

"… Very imaginative, sweetheart, ver– _Oh shit._ Oh shit shit shit– FUCK, GET AWAY FROM ME CHANYEOL DON'T YOU DARE RUB YOUR FACE ON MYYYYYY–" 

 

\--- 

 

Kyungsoo wakes to a familiar heat that spreads over his body. 

Although sleepy, he's able to identify the heat, recalling the many times he's felt like this, as though he's hugging a personal heater. He remembers the nights where he and baby Chanyeol slept on this very bed together, Kyungsoo's arms wrapping securely around the smaller body, his lips pressing soft kisses onto Chanyeol's head, and the adorable giggles as a result of that. 

He remembers the burns he would sustain each time, having to request for Yixing to heal him after breakfast. He remembers how this routine continued until Chanyeol was able to control his ability better, but at that point of time, Kyungsoo's fire angel had already grown to that particular age where it's _not cool_ to share a bed with his carer. 

It has been a while since Kyungsoo has felt this ever-familiar heat enveloping him. And when he opens his eyes, he doesn't see the adorable, cherubic face of baby Chanyeol. Instead, the mature, good-looking countenance of _twenty-four-year-old_ Chanyeol greets him. 

"Good morning, Soo," smiles Chanyeol. 

Kyungsoo smiles, too. "Mm, good morning, Yeol." 

"C'mere," Chanyeol says, the arm he has wrapped around Kyungsoo's waist hauls Kyungsoo towards him. 

Kyungsoo frowns a little at Chanyeol's action, but doesn't resist. "What for?" 

"For this." 

And Chanyeol slots his lips over Kyungsoo's. 

Kyungsoo's lips _sear_ , and he feels as though he's on fire. But it's not a bad thing, really. And Kyungsoo would quote several examples to back that up but he doesn't quite have the time. 

Not when he has a fire angel— _his_ fire angel—to kiss.


End file.
